Burial-receptacle



L. SCHAFER.

BURIAL RECEPTACLE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE'H, I920.

Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

LOUIS SUHAFER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

BURIAL-RECEPTACLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr; 5, 1921.

Application filed June 17, 1920. Serial No. 389,568.

the following is a specification.

This invention is amethod of entomb-' ment or burial of the bodies of deceased persons. It consists, also, in the new vault or casket herein shown and described.

The object of thislinvention is to afford a dry tomb. In present practice, water is present in most graves, and the bodies rest in water instead of in a dry place,'as is desirable. Even when a grave is at the top or on the side of a hill, theloos'e earth in the grave affords the line of least resistance for the seepage of water, with the result that graves are usually catchbasins for water, because it-is easier for the water to seep into a grave than it is for it to escape therefrom. This is true, also, of concrete burial vaults or the like, which are far from being waterproof. The water runs into them and cannot easily run out. Of course, everyone desires to provide a dry place of interment either for himself or for those for whom he may be responsible.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, in which like numbers of reference denote like parts wherever they occur,

Figure 1 is a side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation;

Fig. 4 illustrates a modification; and

Fig. 5 shows this inventionin its simplest form in which the burial receptacle consists only of a hollow member and another member to support the corpse above the lowest line of the hollow member.

In Figs. 1 and 3 a casket 1 is shown in dotted lines, but the end of the casket 1 appears in full lines in Fig. 2. In this method of interment, however, the casket 1 may be omitted and the corpse may be laid in the place where, in the drawings, the casket rests. Vith this explanation it will be understood that this article may be regarded as either a burial vault Or a casket. It may be made of any material, but will preferably be made of material that is impervious to moisture. such. for instance, as glass, porcelain. metal. glazed clay, or any other nonporous or non-absorbent material.

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It is contemplated that this tomb may be used inlieu of a mausoleum but, more generally, that it will be embedded in the' ground in an ordinary grave. When used as a mausoleum (z'. 6., a tomb located or erected above the ground), it will be necessary to provide a lock between the female part 2 and the male part 3 or to make the female part 2 so heavy that it cannotbe easily raised, the object of these provisions being to avoid interference with the dead or their hablllments. Such lock may be by cement.

The main object of this invention being to provide dry interment for the dead, this is accomplished by a construction preferably of material non-permeable by moisture, which structure is so arranged that the water that naturally attempts to enter the tomb is prevented from reaching the corpse, being held against entrance beyond an initial point by the air pressure inside the toinb.

The male part 3 is provided with a peripheral groove 4 in which rests the lower edge or flange or margin 5 of the female member 2. he outer Wall 6 of the said groove 4 is lower in height than the inner wall 7. If water enters groove 4 at the point designated as 8, and even if the same passes the extreme lower edge 9 of the female member 2 and rises in groove 4 on the inside of female member 2' to-the point designated as 10, nevertheless, the air pressure within the vault will prevent the further rise of the water and thus prevent its overtopping or flowing over the summit 11 of the male member 3. The principleinvoked is that if water endeavors to force its way intoa closed receptacle the air within it at first accommodates a certain amount of water, being elastic and becoming compressed; but, the amount of compression of the air within such closed receptacle under the force of water impelled by no greater force than the head present in mere seepage through the earth or due to the grade present in cemetery hills or slopes, is not great and, therefore, the water will never force its way within the tomb herein described to a point rising above the flange top 11.

The height of the flange top 11 above the bottom of the groove 4 will vary according to the head of water present; and can be determined either empyrically or by calculation. One standard height may be found adequate for all situations.

By this invention an air-seal is provided against the entrance of moisture, and the same is more effective than any other 'kind of seal.

It will be understood that while the drawings illustrate, and it may be preferable that the member 2 rests in groove 4 in member 3, yet it will be easy to reverse this arrangement of parts, so that a projection on member 3 rests in a groove in member 2, one such modification being illustrated in Fig. 4. The platform 12- may be in any desired form for the reception of either the casket 1, in case the receptacle is used as a vault, or for the reception of the corpse, in case the said receptacle is used as a casket. The platform 12-is surrounded by a peripheral edge or flange 13 that unites with the inner wall 7 of the groove 4 and'forms a peripheral wall or flange entirely surrounding the platform 12.

Any desired ornamentation may be applied to the exterior of the receptacle, and the same may be supplied with handles (not shown in the drawings) and may be of any desired shape.

Fig. 5 of the drawings illustrates this invention in its simplest form, in which the burial receptacle comprises a dome or hollow member 3 of any shape resting upon the ground or floor or upon the bottom of a grave, and a member located therein adapted to support the corpse at a suitable distance, above the ground or floor or bottom of a grave. In this construction, the air-seal is located at the point where the hollow member rests upon the ground or floor or bottom of the grave. The operation and principle of this construction is the same as in the forms depicted in Figs. l to 4. In this form the hollow member 3 corresponds to the female member 8 mentioned elsewhere in this specification and the platform 12 is carried by the male member 2, which may. be either one long member or a pair of blocks or standards or any other suitable support.

Having thus described this invention, I

-ing wall and having a grooved portion at the lower end of said wall, and a cooperating member having a part to seat in but not fill said groove, whereby the air inclosed within said members when assembled resists the upward passage of water between said wall and cooperating member.

2. A burial receptacle comprising a member formed with a platform and with a grooveabout said platform. the inner wall of the groove extending above the platform,

and a cooperating member having a. portion to seat in said groove outwardly of and substantially spaced from and forming a restricted channel with said inner wall of the groove.

3. A burial receptacle comprising a member formed to provide a platform, the edge of the platform being extended upwardly and then downwardly and formed into a channel, and a cooperating member having its free edge positioned in. the channel and the portion above said wedge spaced from the downwardly-extended portion of the platform.

4. A burial receptacle comprising a member formed to provide a platform, the ed e of the platform being extended upwardly and then downwardly and formed into a channel, and a cooperating member having its free edge positioned in the channel and spaced from the vertical walls of such channel.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

' LOUIS SCHAFER. 

